I found a few threads about suggestions on replacement front struts. I've had my LS for about 4 years - and replaced the struts twice, three times on one side due to the spring actually breaking. Are the parts just that much crap now or is my car cursed to do this? In cold weather especially, my front end sounds like I'm crushing tin cans every time I go over a speed bump or slow ally-oop in the road.

 

Depends on what brand you installed, I’ve had good results with KYB struts and shocks. Did you install quick struts? Or just struts with your OEM springs and mounting plates?

 

The first time around I had ordered full struts from ZZP with shorter springs. They lasted a year before the spring broke on the driver side. Second time were "stock" full struts from NAPA. I don't recall if they were a brand name since the repair shop ordered. Those lasted a year and a half before they got as noisy as what I have now. Third time was a NAPA full strut, those broke a spring on the passenger side within 6 months. Replaced just that one under warranty and now their both making noise. I'll have to look into the KYB. Not that it's getting expensive - this car has been overall the most reliable vehicle I own - but having to do the front suspension every year and a half on average is getting old.

And I noticed I didn't have my coffee and glasses on when I made the thread title - feel free to correct that!

 

Fixed! The Napa struts are my clue to your issues, I get about 4 or 5 years out of a pair of KYB , never broke a spring. Have a look in the RockAuto website for part numbers, they are specific to which side of the car they go on.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...assembly,15174


And don’t forget, you get what you pay for!

 

Thank you for the title correction :-) I suppose. NAPA used to be the premium brand around here; ZZP is thought to be the best in what they do for performance. I'm amazed that the springs break randomly though.. I do drive hard and aggressively, so that's probably on me. I'm looking at the KYB's and Gabriel's now as a comparison.

 

NAPA is a store. If you just ask for parts from them, you get their private labeled who-knows-what, or some other who-knows-what.

KYB Strut-plus are “loaded” assemblies, with springs and everything else. Easy to instal. Expect high quality. Do not expect a cushy ride. I love mine.

Unlike the others, they are specific to the left & right side, so you don’t get annoying superfluous stabilizer strut brackets.

You need SR4056 & SR4057. For me, they were cheaper from Rock Auto, even with Amazon’s free shipping.

 

I never heard of a front spring breaking. Something else must be going on.
Shock absorbers are only good for about 50,000 miles. You just don't notice.

 

I have read several stories of springs breaking, including fronts. Always aftermarket. ZZP, Moog, & generics. Never OEM or KYB. Also, many comments about aftermarket springs corroding more than OEM, and corrosion is sure to lead to breakage.

”Insulators” matter. In addition to reducing noise, they reduce galvanic corrosion.

 

That's weird. I appreciate the part numbers for those, but with the initial Google search the first thing that pops up is Amazon, of course, but saying they don't fit an HHR. But yet the reviews state the buyers used them on their HHR's... so I'm going to say they'll fit :-)

 

Two springs on different sides from different manufacturers. My car only has 83K on it, so going through 3 sets of struts in the time I've owned it is telling me that what I've been purchasing has been complete junk.